Will continue to raise fuel price rise issue: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on Tuesday that it would continue to raise in both houses of Parliament the issue of diesel price hike, which is hitting the common man, but not stall proceedings.

The matter was discussed at the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting attended by its top leaders Tuesday morning. The party also discussed the alleged desecration of temples in Bangladesh and the Ram Setu issue, which it decided to also raise strongly in the Parliament.

"Hike in petrol and diesel prices was the issue discussed at the meeting ...Every week they are raising prices of petrol and diesel. This is against the common people," BJP's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde told reporters. Asked if the Parliament will function normaly, Munde said, "We will raise the issue but the proceedings of the House will continue."

"In Bangladesh, Hindu temples were broken and Hindus beaten up. This is a serious matter and we will raise this issue in Parliament because this is a concern of our country also. The national government should be asked to (talk to) Bangladesh that this should not be repeated," he said.

"We will not allow breaking of Ram Setu. There can be another alignment. The government-appointed committee's report is there and that committee has not recommended breaking of the old Ram Setu," the BJP leader added.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath, however, expressed confidence that the Parliament would function and hoped that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be able to make his statement, to reply on the motion of thanks.

"I hope Parliament will function now. It was stalled for one day as parties wanted to express their anger over the diesel price hike. All issues should be raised and discussed in the Parliament as per rules and all are ready to raise their issues as the Parliament is meant to discuss things," Nath told reporters.